1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to otoscopes for imaging the inside of human or animal ears.
2. Description of the Related Art
Otoscopes are a common imaging device that clinicians use to diagnose diseases of the middle ear. While otoscopes range in complexity from simple magnifiers to high-definition digital cameras, their basic functionality has remained the same for many years. They simply deliver a magnified image of the middle ear. Recently, there has been interest in leveraging advances in plenoptic camera technology to build an otoscope that captures a three-dimensional depth profile (or lightfield) of the middle ear, possibly with additional multispectral information. However, capturing lightfield data places additional requirements on the illumination compared to traditional otoscopes.
Thus, there is a need for better illumination sources for otoscopes, particularly for plenoptic otoscopes.